I have survived 30 years in Information Technology and am now retired. I live in Massachusetts with my wife and two cats. My tanka poetry has been published in many online and print journals. I won second place in the 2012 Tanka Society of America contest, and received an honorable mention in the 2014 contest.

Author's Note: Before computers, we submitted typewritten poems to poetry journals. Most required a SASE - a self-addressed stamped envelope - to be sent along with the poems. My favorite poem at the time was T.S. Eliot’s "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," and I wrote a little parody of it. Inspired by Janice Canerdy’s excellent parody in the April issue of Verse-Virtual, I decided to submit mine for this month.

Prufrock On Rejection

I have measured my wordsmeasured them allmade a thousand visions and revisionsand worn new metaphors old

so how could I beginto open what I sent -all the works and days of my handsand all my hopes

promptly returnedin a self-addressed, stamped envelope.

Was it worth it, after allafter searching the floors of silent seasfor an idea or an image that would pleasesomeone, anyone, save you and me -after clawing the barren ocean floor

(I should have been a pair of ragged clawsthat cannot hold a pen)

Was it then worth it, after allafter the lived-for letter I just now readthe form letter that politely said“That wasn’t it; that’s not what we wantedat all.”

Now as I sit here scratching my headwe may yet be famous when we’re dead

ever the fool, I pick up my penand continue writing, with a sigh,poems that no one may ever read -no one, that is, except you and I.

The poet Issa wrote many haiku about insects. Here is one of my favorites:

don’t swat that fly!see how he prayswith his hands, with his feet

These two tanka of mine were inspired by Issa:

on the wallsharing my shower…a spiderlet’s pretend, my friendwe never saw each other